Steam-driven compressor.



W. IVTURNER. STEAM DRIVEN COMPRESSOR.

7 APPLICATION FILED JAN-19,1915. 1,176,109. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR THE C oLuMBlA PLMjoGRAPn cm, W'ASHINHOTON, n. L'-

' W. V. TURNER.

STEAM DRIVEN COMPRESSOR.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, ms. 1, 176,109. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/ W mil WITNESSES INVENTOR vewe 6 MW W THE COLUMBIA PLANGURAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. V. TURNER STEAM DRIVEN COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVENTOR WITNESSES /6 THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W-V TURNER.

STEAM DRIVEN COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19.!915.

1,176,109. Patented Mar. 21,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- WITNESSES INVENTOR 6M (7% WW WALTER v. TURNER, or'sneswoon, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNo'R ro THE WESTIfiG- HOUSE AIR BBAKECOMPANY, or wILMERn-mc, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION f or PENNSYLVANIA.

To aZZwhom it may concern Be .it known that I, \V ALTER V. TURNER- a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewocd, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Driven Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto fluid compressc rs, and more particularly to a compound steampumping engine of the type having the pump pistons directly connected to the steam pistons, such as those covered in the prior Patents, Ala-441,209 of Geo. VVestinghouse, dated November 25, 1 890, and No. 965,573 of A. England, dated July 26, 1910. \Vith this type of compressor, various conditicns of leakage may interfere with the properaction thereof, such as leakage of steam past the high or low pressure steam pistons, leakage of fluid around the high or. low pressure air pistons, and leakages at thedischarge valves or intermediate valves.

Such leakages tend to prevent the full and simultaneous stroking of the steam and pump pistons and, the effectiveness of the compressor is thus impaired byfailure to operate at maximum elficiency, stalling of the compressor, inability to operate .under thedesired maximum air pressure, and the like.

upwardly; Fig. 2 a similar view, with the high pressure steam. piston movlngdownwardly; Fig. 3 a central vertical section of a compound fluid compressor em-v bodying a slightly modified form of my invention, showing the parts in position when the high pressure steam piston is moving upwardly; and Fig. d a similar view, when the high pressure steam piston is moving downwardly.

The-compressor may. comprise a valve section 1, steam cylinder casing 2, air cylinder casing 3 and a section '4 intermediate the The principal object of invention is of the high pressure steam piston 6.

STEAM-DRIVEN coMrREssoN;

pressure steam cylinder 5 is a steam piston V H l Specification of Letters Patent? Patented Dia 21, 1916k '7 Application filed. January 19,191- SeIia1 No.3,05 2. I

6 connected by piston rod Twith air piston 8 contained in air cylinder 9, and thelow 1 pressure steam cylinder 10 contains steam piston 11 connected by piston rod 12 with air piston 13 contained in air cylinder 14 and in accordance with one feature otmy connected to the high pressure steam piston while the low pressure steam piston is con-v .inventicn, the high pressure air piston is nected to' the iow pressure air piston. Thelow pressure air cylinder 11 is provided with the usual fluid inlet valves 15'a'nd 16 and intermediate valves 17, 18, 19, and 20 for controlling theflow of compressed fluid from the lowqpressure cylinder let to the high pressure cylinder 9. The high pressure cylinder is also provided with the usual discharge valves 21rand 22'. Mounted in a piston chamber of the valve section 1 is a main steam distribution valve of the valve vpiston type and having differential piston heads 23 and 24 withintermediate piston valves 25, 26, and 2-7 for controllingthe admission and exhaust of steam to and from the steam cylinders. v

For effecting the operation of the main steam valve, two reversing valves 28 and by the movement of the low pressure steam piston 11 andthe "valve 29 bytheflinovement Assuming the parts in the positions shown in 2-9 are provided, the valve 28- being o'perat'ed Fig. 1 of the drawings, steam admitted through pipe 30 to the compressor flowsthrough passage 31 to the space betweenpiston heads 24- and 25 and thence through passage 32 to the piston chamber at the under side of high pressure steam piston 6, causingv the upward movement of said piston.

The pistcnchamber above the high pressure piston 6 .is connected to the piston chamber above low pressure steam piston 11 through passage 33, space intermediate the piston valves'26 andQT, and passage] 34, sothat the exhaust steam from the high pressure steampiston is supplied to the pis- 1 ton 11 for driving the same downwardly to the end of its upward stroke,- the striker versing rod 37 and the valve29 is thus shifted to the position shown: inFig. 2.

As the high pressure steam piston 6 movesplate 35 engages the shoulder 36 of the re-' reversingvalves 28 and 29 is" required to effeet the shifting of same and therefore action takes place'until thelow pressure steam piston moves to the end of its downward stroke, when the engagementofrthe striker plate 38 with thevbutton on'the end of the reversing rod 39 operates to shift the valve 28 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. WVith both reversing valves in the positions shown in Fig.

2, the valve chamber 40, open through pas-- sage 41 to the steam supply pipe 39, is connected by port 42, passage 43, cavity 44 in a valve 28 and passage 45 with the. chamber.

adjacent to piston, head .23. The smaller piston head 24 being constantly subject to" atmospheric pressure, the unbalanced steam pressure on the piston. head 23, effects the movement of the main steam valve to the right as shown in Fig. 2 and in this position, steam is admitted to the piston chamber above piston 6 from the space between piston heads 23 and 27 and. through pas-. sage .33. chamber below piston 6 isalso admitted to the under side of low pressure piston 11 through-passage 32, space between piston heads 25 and 26, and passage 47. The high pressure steam piston is thus caused to move downwardly and-the low pressure piston 11 upwardly. As the steam pistons approach the end of their respective strokes, the reversing valves 28 and 29 are shifted and when both have been shifted the valves will be in the positions shown in Fig. 1., in which the chamber at the face of. piston-head 23 is connected 7 to the exhaust through passage 48, cavity 49 in reversing valve 28, passage.

50, cavity 51 in reversing valve 29, and passage 52.. which opens to steamexhaust port 53. As the piston head 23 is of greater area than piston he'ad24, there will bean run.-

balanced pressure head acting on the inner in Fig. .1.

face of piston 23 which operates to shift the main steam valve to the position shown 9 Steam will now .be exhausted from, they piston chamber below the .low pressure piston '11 to the atmosphere through passage 47,, space between piston heads 25 and 26' to exhaust port 53, steam being admitted to operate the high and low pressure steam pistons as hereinbefore demakes its upward stroke, as may occur, for

example, when leakage around the high pressure steam, pistomcau'ses an excessive back pressure thereon, then only the reversing valve 28 will beshifted, but this oper- Exhaust steam from the piston.

" ates to connect the back pressure side of the 'hi'ghpressure steam piston and also the lower side of the low pressure piston to the exhaustthrough passage 33, passage 54, cavity 55 in reversing valve -29,-passage' 56, cavity 57 in reversing valve 28, passage 58,

25 and 26. to exhaust port 53. The low pressure piston having completed its stroke,

the sooner the exhaust steam is exhausted,

passage 47, and space between piston'heads v the better, while the exhaust ofsteam from c the upper face of high pressure piston 6 directly to the atmosphereoperates to facilitate the prompt movement of the'high pressurepistonto the, end, of its stroke :by

freeing the same of back pressure This preventsstalling and tends to, bring about steam pistons. If the low pressure piston llflcompletes its upward stroke beforethe 'the more nearly simultaneous'action of the 'T high pressure piston 6 finishes its down stroke, the reversing valve 28;"will be shifted upwardly-so as to connect the under side of the high pressure piston with the direct exhaust through passagej32,"passage.59, cavity 60 in reversing valve 29, passage 61, cavity 62 in reversing valve 28, passage 63, exhaust side of lowpressure piston ll,passage 34,:and

space between piston heads 26 and 27. On

the other hand, should the high pressure ,steam'piston reach the end of its stroke first, means are provided. for admitting live steam to the acting side ofthe lowipressure j 1 piston. If the high pressure'piston-makes its upward stroke first; the reversing .valve 29. is shifted upwardly and operates to supply live steam to. the piston chamber at the upper face of low pressure steam piston'll from passage 32 through passage59, cavity '60-. in reversingvalve, 29, passage 61, cavity .62 in reversing valve 28, and passage 63.

Live steam thus supplied to the 'low' pressure piston assiststhe movement thereof andtends to make the strokes .of the high. and lowpressure p stons more nearly simultaneous. In a similar manner, if the high pressure 'steam piston 6 completesits down- I ward stroke in advance of thecompletion of the upward stroke 'ofthe low pressure piston, then the reversing valve 29 is shifted downwardly and. live steam is admitted to the piston chamberbelow the low pressure 7 piston 11 from space between piston heads.

23-and 27,xthrough passage 33, passage- 54,"

cavity 55 invalve 29, passage 56, cavity 57.

in valve 28, passage 58, and passage 47. Al-; though-the downward movementof the rep versing valve'29 cutsvotf port 42 which supplies steam to piston 23, the steam pressure} zonsaid'piston isstill maintained by steamsupplied throughpassage 75, cavity 76 in valve 29, passage. 43, cavity 44, and-passage45. V r v It will now be seenthat means arepro- .vided for insuring the full strokeof both the high andthe low pressure steam-pistons, since the movement of the low pressure steam piston to the end of its stroke before the high pressure steam piston finishes its stroke causes the opening of communication for relieving the back pressure on the high pressure steam piston, while the movement of the high pressure steam piston ahead of the low pressure steam piston effects the admission of live steam to the, operating side of the low pressure steam piston.

WVhile in the drawings, the low pressure steam piston is connected with the low pressure pump piston and the high pressure steam piston with the high pressure pump piston, if desired, the pistons may be crossconnected, as shown in Patent No. 965,573., hereinbefore referred to.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings a slightly modified construction is shown, the manner of supplving live steam to the low pressure steam piston and exhausting steam therefrom being somewhat different from that of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and. 2 of the drawings.

In the ope-ration of the modified construction. when the compressor is not running, the high and low pressure steam pistons will be at the bottom of the respective cylinders with the reversing valves 28 and 29 in their lower positions. If steam is admitted to the compressor, it will flow to the face of piston 23 from valve chamber 60, through port .61 and passage 45, and the chamber at the outer face of piston 24 being at atmospheric pressure, the steam distribution valve will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4. Steam can then flow to the high pressure steam cylinder above the piston 6 through passage 31, space between piston heads 23 and 27, and passage 33. Steam also flows to the-low pressure steam cylinder below piston 11 through passage 41, valve chamber 40, passage 63, cavity 64. in re-' versing valve 28, passage 65, and passage 47. The low pressure steam piston will thus be forced upwardly by live steam, while air will be drawn into the air cylinder below piston 'l3-thrcugh inlet valve 16. As the low pressure steam piston reaches the end of its upward stroke, the reversing, plate 38 operates the reversing valve 28, moving same to the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement blanks the passage 45" and at the. same time cavity 66 connects passages 54 and 67. Theouter face of piston head 23 is then open to the exhaust through passage 68, cavitv 69 in reversing valve 29, passages 70 and 67, cavity 66, and passage 54. Since the space at the outer face of piston head 24 is also subiect to atmospheric pressure, the unbalanced pressure acting on the inner face of piston head 23 operates to shift the steam dist ibution valveto the position shown in Fig. 3. Live steam is now supsteam piston 6 from the space between piston heads 24 and 25 and through passage 32, thus forcing this piston upward. Exhaust steam from above piston 6 will now expand into the low pressure steam cylinder above piston 11 through passage 33, space between piston heads 26 and 27, and passage 34, thus forcing the low pressure piston downward, the lower side of piston 1.1 being open to the exhaust port 53, through passage 47 and space between piston heads 25 and 26. The low pressure air piston now operates to draw in air from the atmosphere through inlet valve 15 and air compressed below the piston passes the intermediate valves 19 and 20 into the high pressure air cylinder below piston 8. When the high pressure steam piston 6 completes its upward stroke, the reversing valve 29 is shifted upwardly while the movement of they low pressure steam piston downwardly operates to Shift the reversing valve 28 to its lower position, as shown in Fig. 4. The steam distribution valve is now shifted to the right, by the admission of steam to the face of piston head 23, so that live steam is supplied. to the upper side of piston 6 and exhaust steam from the under side of said piston is admitted to the underside of the low pressure steam piston 11, operating the pistons to compress air as before described. If the high pressure steam piston 6 should complete its downward stroke first,

the reversing valve 29 will be moved to its plied to the underside of the high pressure lower position and live steam will be admitted to the under side of the low pressure piston 11 from reversing valve chamber 40 through passage 63, cavity 64 in reversing valve 28', passage 65, and passage 47. Similarly, if the high pressure piston completes its upward stroke first, live steam will be admitted to the upper side of the low pressure piston from valve chamber 40 through passage 71, cavity 72 in reversing valve 28, passage 73, and passage34.

Having now described my invention vhat,

I claimv as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a compound pumping engine, the combination with a high pressure engine cylinder and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of means controlled by the high pressure piston for supplying live steam to the low pressure piston.

2. In a compound pumping engine, the combination with a high pressure engine cylinder and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of means operated upon movement of the high pressure piston to the end of its stroke ahead of the low pressure piston for supplying live steam to the low pressure piston.

,3. In acompound pumping engine, the

in'der' and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, ofineans controlled by the movement of the high pressure piston;

and operatedupon'failure-of the low pres sure piston to completeits stroke simulta neously with the high pressure piston for" supplying live steam to the low pressure piston.

gine cylinder and pistomof a valve mechanism adapted to normally supply livesteain to the high pressure piston and exhaust 7 of the low pressurepiston stroke.

5. In a compound pumping engine, the

combination with a high pressure engine cylinder and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of a main steam.

distribution valve for supplyinglive steam V combination with a high pressure engine cyl-f inder andpiston and a'rlow pressure engine to the high pressure piston and exhaust steam from the high pressure piston to the low pressure piston, a reversing valve oper ated by each piston for conjointly control-- ling the movement of the steam distribution valve, and means controlled by the high pressure-reversing valve for supplyinglive steam to the low pressure piston upon movement ofthe high pressure piston to coin-f plete its stroke aheadjof the low pressure piston; 1 e

6; In a compound pumping engine, the combination with a' highpressure engine cylinder and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of means operated upon movement of the low pressure piston to the;

I end of its stroke in advance of the high presplying exhaust steam from the high pressure piston to the low pressure piston andadapted' sure piston for opening a direct exhaust to the low pressure piston. 7

7. In a compound pumping V combination With a high pressure engine cylinder and piston and 'a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of means'for supplying exhaust steam from the high pressure'piston to the lowpressure piston and adapted upon movement of the low pressure piston to the end of its stroke in advance of the high pressure piston to open a direct exhaust for relieving the pistons of exhaust steampressure. 5 1

' 8. Ina compound pumping engine, the

combination with a high pressure P engine 7 cylinder and piston and a low pressure engine cylinder and piston, of means for supa compound pumpingengine, the combination with a high pressure-engine V cylinder'and piston and a low pressure enengine, the Y upon movement of the lovv'pi'essure tor the end of its stroke in advance of the high x pressure piston to open a direct exhaust for' '1 relieving the pistons of exhaust steam presend of its stroke, p p

9. In a compound pumping engine, the

combination with a high pi'essureengine cylinder and piston and a low pressure endistribution valve for normally supplying live-steam to the high pressure piston, exhaust steam from'the high pressure piston to 'gine cylinder and piston, of a main steam the low pressure piston, and for finally'exhaustingsteam from the loivpressure piston and a reversing valve operated by each piston forconjointly controlling the movement of tliesteam distribution valve, the movement of the low pressure reversing valve 'in advance of the high pressure reversing valve being adapted to open a direct exhaust for relieving the pistons of the pressure of the exhaust vsteam supplied to operate the low pressure piston.

10. In a compound pumping engine, the

cylinder andpiston, of means controlled by the simultaneous movement of both pistons toltheendflof their respective strokes in one direction for supplying exhaust steam from the high pressure pistonto the loivp'ressure 11. In combination with a high pressure engine cylinder and piston and a low press'ureengine a compound pumping engine, the.

cylinder and piston, of areversing valve op-i erated by each piston and a main distribution valve operated upon thesimultaneous ing valve-being adapted to'open a direct exhaust for steam. g V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. r

Witnesses: ALM. CLEMENTS, I -S. IV. IQEEFERLV movement of both reversing valves, for vent '115 relieving the pistons of exhaust (WALTER v. URNER;

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive eents each, by. addressing the Commissioner qf;Paten-ts,.

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